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Pioneer Square is Seattle's oldest neighborhood, showcasing a wealth of art galleries, bookstores, antique shops, cool restaurants, and buzzing nightclubs within easy walking (or free bus) distance of most downtown Seattle hotels. The cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages are a reminder of life a century ago. The classic red brick buildings give a warmth to the area not found in most sprawling US suburbias. Local lore holds that the term "skid row" originated in Pioneer Square -- when timber would be slid down Yesler Way to a steam powered mill on the Seattle waterfront. The area sits, from east to west, between 3rd Ave. and the waterfront; and between downtown proper to the north, and the sports stadiums to the south.

Just to its east, the International District is the name given to Seattle's Asian neighborhood. It is located southeast of downtown, loosely bounded by 4th Avenue S. and S. Dearborn Street. While the old Chinatown stops around the Interstate 5 freeway, the area to the east is called Little Saigon, centered on 12th and Jackson. From there, going south along Rainier Avenue, the stores transform from Vietnamese to Cambodian, beyond which it slowly merges into South Seattle.

It is easy to get here from the downtown hotels – most busses traveling south from downtown will get you within a few blocks, and it is an easy and low-incline walk from the downtown core. There are a few pay parking lots, and limited street parking is available too. Often the best parking bet is the metered spaces under the viaduct – these parking spots are usually overlooked by all but the locals. Occidental St, which sits between 1st Avenue and 2nd Ave is closed to cars between Washington St. and Jackson St, and forms a pedestrian mall which backs up to many of the galleries and shops.

Most city buses that go to downtown Seattle from other parts terminate in or pass through Pioneer Square or the International District. From central downtown, it's about a five-minute walk due south toward the stadiums. One tourist-focused line is the Route 99 Waterfront Shuttle in distinctive yellow livery, which runs along Alaskan Way past the ferry terminal, aquariums, and Pike Place Market downtown. This route is always free.

Buses and trains in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel make stops at Pioneer Square Station (a few blocks north of the main neighborhood) and International District Station. King Street Station, served by Amtrak and Sounder commuter rail, sits directly in the center of the area at 4th and Jackson.

Smith Tower, 506 2nd Ave, ☎+1 206 622-4004, [1]. Built in 1914, the Smith Tower was Seattle's first skyscraper and is probably the only tall building left in Seattle where uniformed attendants operate the elevators. Instead of stepping into a metal box with no view, you'll observe the different floors and peer into offices as you ascend or descend. How many people under the age of, say, 20 or so have ever had that experience? . An outdoor observation deck on the 35th floor re-opened in August 2016 after renovation (it now includes a Speakeasy inspired cafe and bar) wraps completely around the four sides of the tower, providing panoramic views of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, including Mt. Rainier, as well as of Elliott Bay, downtown Seattle, and Pioneer Square. The interior of the 35th floor contains the Chinese Room, with an ornate carved ceiling and a number of decorative flourishes imported from China in the early 20th century. There is a new 40 minute self guided tour (separate admission fee) about Seattle's history from the 1920's and beyond that is available. $10.00 adults (admission to observation deck only) 19.14̰̯$ (admission to observation deck and tour).. edit

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park - Seattle Unit, 319 2nd Ave S (at S Jackson St), [2]. Daily 9AM-5PM except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. A key attraction in the Pioneer Square area. It is the Seattle branch of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, the remainder of which is in Alaska. Highlights the city's key role as the "Gateway to the Gold Fields" in supplying most of the Klondike stampeders of 1897 - 1898. National Park Service Rangers and volunteers staff the Seattle unit. They can provide information and perspective not only on the Gold Rush but also on Seattle's past and present. The Seattle unit contains many artifacts and historical photographs related to the Gold Rush. Movies about the Gold Rush (27 minutes), Seattle (15 minutes) and the Chilkoot Pass (15 minutes) are shown upon request except in summer when they're shown on a regular schedule. Rangers conduct free walking tours of the Pioneer Square area in the summer. They also demonstrate gold panning for school groups.Free. edit

Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square proper is just a small corner park that's often occupied by homeless folks, but generally safe during the day.edit

Occidental Park, ☎+1 206 684-4075. 6AM-10PM. This urban park is best known for its four totem poles carved by local artist Duane Pasco.Free. edit

Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave S, [5]. A small park in the center of Chinatown, notable for its large pagoda. Though you're not too likely to see old folks doing tai chi or playing checkers, it still has character.edit

Waterfall Garden, 2nd Ave at S Main St. This small, tranquil park features a 22-foot high waterfall cascading over natural granite boulders. The park occupies the site where two 19-year olds, James Casey and Claude Ryan, began a messenger service in 1907 in the basement of a tavern. That messenger service grew up to become United Parcel Service. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, started by James Casey and his siblings in honor of their mother, created the park and maintains it "in honor of the men and women of United Parcel Service."edit

Art Walk, [6]. The Art Walk is almost synonymous with Pioneer Square and takes place on the first Thursday of every month. Galleries are open until 9PM. Show up early for the free wine and hors d'oeuvres.edit

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, 608 First Ave., ☎+1 206 682-4646 ([email protected]), [7]. Daily, on the hour, year round. Bill Speidel's Underground Tour is Seattle's most unusual attraction, a humorous stroll through subterranean storefronts and sidewalks entombed when the city rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire. The tour begins above ground in a restored 1890s saloon, then spills into historic Pioneer Square, before plunging underground for a time-capsule view of the buried city. All the while, tour guides regale you with sidesplitting stories our pioneers didn’t want you to hear. It’s history with punch lines! Tickets: undergroundtour.com, 206 682 4646.$16 adults, $15 military with ID, $13 seniors and students, $8 children 7-12. edit

Underworld Tour, 608 First Ave., ☎+1 206 682-4646 ([email protected]), [8]. Evenings, year round. The Underworld Tour is an adults-only stroll through the old red-light district of the abandoned, underground city that is Seattle’s birthplace. A big-brother version of the world-famous Underground Tour, it’s seamier, raunchier and laugh-out-loud lewdicrous. Totally inappropriate! One alcoholic drink included. Valid picture ID required. Tickets: undergroundtour.com, 206 682 4646.$25. edit

Taste Seattle Food Tour, First Ave S. and Main Street, ☎+1 253 777-0159 ([email protected]), [10]. Tu-Sat, 11 a.m., Mar-Nov. Taste Seattle Food Tours is one of the most fun and unique ways to experience our city. As we like to think of it, we take you off the “eaten path”. You will be guided on a relaxed walking tour with some of the best food and drink Seattle’s oldest and hottest foodie neighborhood has to offer while getting to know Pioneer Square and Seattle’s earliest beginnings. Tickets: http://www.zerve.com/TasteSeattle/Pioneer, 1-800-979-3370.edit

Venus Karaoke, 601 S King St, Ste 102. One of the few karaoke rooms in the city. Rented by the hour, a good selection of Cantonese, Mandarin, and English songs. Open late, with two bars upstairs. In the lobby, view the anime models with exceedingly unrealistic presentations of the female body.edit

Seattle Pinball Museum, 508 Maynard Ave S (Sunday 11 - 5PM Monday 11 - 5 PM, Tuesday and Wednesday closed, Thursday 6pm-9pm, Friday 2 -10pm Saturday 1PM-10PM), ☎(206) 623-0759, [11]. A pinball museum with over 50 pinball machines with some being vintage pinball machines from the 50's to the 90's. 13$ admission fee (10$ for children 12 and under-1 entry) and 18$ for an all day pass for unlimited play (kids 12 and under 15$ for all day pass). Soda, beer and snacks are available for purchase. 10$ to 18$ adults Children (12 and under) 7$. edit

Living Computer Museum, 2203 1st Ave S, [12]. A computer history museum founded by Paul Allen of Microsoft, with systems from mainframes to early microcomputers which visitors can useedit

Uwajimaya Village, 600 5th Ave S, ☎+1 206 624-6248, [13]. M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM. The commercial, if not cultural, hub of the I.D. is Uwajimaya Village, a huge Japanese supermarket with many smaller eateries and a branch of the Kinokuniya bookstore. If you need anything at all from Japan while in Seattle, this is the place to find it.edit

Most of the older businesses in the I.D. are, of course, Chinese, and there are a few general stores where you can pick up good woks and other imported items. Over in Little Saigon, the Viet Wah supermarket has Asian foods for a lot cheaper than Uwajimaya.

True to its name, the International District has a great variety of ethnic cuisines. While tourists and most non-Asian Seattleites stick to the large Chinese restaurants, the smaller places serve mostly locals and offer quite authentic atmosphere as well as food. Chinese seafood restaurants are a Seattle institution popular with locals, many with "live tanks". Not particularly elegant, but the food is great (if a bit venturesome for some tastes). And while most of Seattle's immigrant Japanese population has long since moved out to the suburbs (as have the upscale sushi bars), a few restaurants still stick it out in the area.

World Pizza, 672 S King St (between S Maynard Aly & S 7th Ave), ☎206-682-4161, [14]. Monday to Saturday 11AM to 9PM, Sunday 12PM to 9PM.. Very good vegetarian pizza place with many different kinds of vegetarian pizza (a tasty vegan pizza is also available-call ahead to request it to be made) that also serves espresso, wine and Manny's Pale Ale on tap. World Pizza's signature pizza is an excellent pizza that features roasted potatoes, garlic, rosemary and Gorgonzola. Happy hour Monday to Friday from 3PM to 6PM featuring 2.75$ slices, and 1.50$ bottles of Rainier beer. edit

For a cheap eat, try dim sum lunch. Roving servers bring steam carts of exotic (e.g., chicken feet) but often delicious food, then stamp your meal ticket for each dish. When you're done, take your ticket up to the register and pay. If you aren't a complete master of chopsticks, bring your own fork for the slippery shrimp and rice noodles, because the staff will rarely get around to bringing one. If you're not getting what you want, or you don't see it, ask the staff - you may have to be a little aggressive.

House of Hong, 409 8th Ave S, ☎+1 206 622-7997, [15]. Su-Th 9:30AM-10PM, F-Sa 9:30AM-11PM. While more expensive, they do have parking on-site, which is a good clue that this is not very authentic. Their Lo Mai Gai is larger than other restaurants, as you are served only one bundle per order instead of the standard two or three. This makes sharing your Lo Mai gai awkward, and it tends to stick to the leaves in a glutenious unnatural manner.edit

Mon Hei Chinese Bakery, 669 S King St. A one woman show with lots of variety at a reasonable price. Eat your sesame roll while chatting with the old timers sitting in the back.edit

Purple Dot Cafe, 515 Maynard Ave S. This is not a fusion restaurant, but rather a Macau style restaurant. This explains why you can order your Hong Kong style dishes with spaghetti and cream sauce. Purple Dot is open really late on the weekends, where packs of 80lb. red-faced co-eds can be spotted stumbling around in their glittery halter tops. The restaurant's decor may remind one of a Hong Kong style Mickey Mouse Club, with its colorful curved soffits and fiesta patterned carpet. But at Purple Dot, the draw for authentic food overpowers the teeny bopper atmosphere, as during the day there are just as many families as there are clubbers at night. Wash down the cajun chicken wings with an iced lemon tea, or stick to Cantonese soul food like jook and wonton mein.edit

Maekawa Bar, 601 S King St. (Right next to Fort St. George), ☎+1 206 622-0634. M-Th 6pm-12am, F-Sat 6pm-2am. Maekawa serves the Izakaya style of Japanese food. Menu has many different options like Ramen, Udon, Bento, Kaki fry(fried oyster), etc. They also serve variety of Japanese beers and liquors like Oni Koroshi sake, Kirin and Sapporo beers. edit

Maneki, 306 6th Ave S, ☎+1 206 622-2631, [23]. Tu-Su 5:30PM-10:30PM, M closed. Very good sushi, as well as many non-sushi Japanese dishes. The restaurant claims to be at least 100 years old, although it has moved since its estimated founding date in 1904, and is considerably smaller than the grand space it occupied prior to World War II. Their sushi pieces are very large, and their prices are very reasonable. Only open for dinner, reservations recommended.edit

Salumi, 309 3rd Ave S (between Main and Jackson), ☎+1 206 621-8772, [25]. Tu-F 11AM-4PM. This is the place to eat lunch in Pioneer Square. There is often a line that can take over an hour to get through. Salami sandwiches on artisan bread... can't beat it.edit

Tamarind Tree, 1036 S Jackson St, ☎+1 206 860-1404, [26]. Su-Th 10AM-10PM, F-Sa 10AM-midnight. It is worth the awkward crawl through Seattle's steepest and most congested parking lot to relax with a Tamarind Soda next cool contempo style fountain. Tamarind Tree is an anomoly in Little Saigon, to say the least. Three Vietnamese brothers created an atmosphere that feels like it should be located in a Belltown Hotel rather than a Vietnamese ghetto. Tamarind Tree packs in more flavors for under $9 than any other restaurant. Try the Fish Paste with Bacon, or the Seven Courses of Beef. Be amazed at how high quality service, sauces, and appetizers can be served up artfully for Little Saigon prices. Eat your spring rolls with a side of fresh peanut sauce.edit

Uwajimaya, 600 5th Ave S, ☎+1 206 624-6248, [27]. M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM. The food court at Uwajimaya, and the accompanying Uwajimaya grocery store, deserve special mention. The grocery store offers specialty items for almost all forms of Asian cooking. They have great produce, though not always the best prices. But most importantly, they have obscure items like Kafir lime leaves or entire lotus roots, labeled in English. The food court offers a wide variety of Asian cuisines, ranging from Hawaiian BBQ to Hong Kong style baked goods, and everything in-between, though the Thai offering is not so good. The Chinese steam tables offer reliable, western-style treats in large quantites for cheap. There is no real Japanese offering, but the grocery store deli has plenty of sushi and other Japanese lunch items available. The Korean establishment, Shilla Korean Bar-B-Q is probably the best out of the entire court, with very reasonable prices and large portions.edit

Bubbletea arrived in Seattle's ID around 1998. It was originally served in basic plastic cups with the signature dome lids. All the bubble tea cafes in the ID now vacuum seal the tops of each cup with a semi-permanent plastic covers.

Ambrosia, 619 S King St, ☎+1 206 623-9028. This was Seattle's first bubble tea establishment. Well known for its long lines and the curt Taiwanese "bubbletea nazi" that ran the cash register. Other bubble tea cafes followed suit, thus thinning out Ambrosia's clientele.edit

Gossip Espresso & Tea, 651 S King St, ☎+1 206 624-5402. This prime corner storefront used to be Seattle's oldest meat market. Gossip is now a popular hangout for bubbletea drinking neighborhood teens. A spiral staircase leads to a second level lounge where the original ornate ceiling panels still exist. Cash only, also has karaoke downstairs.edit

Maekawa Bar, 601 S King St, Suite 206. Seattle's only Izakaya. Serves Japanese pub grub, which is delicious. Generally busy, it is a good place to spend an evening eating and drinking. Have an award above the bar for being Seattle's best Izakaya. They do not appreciate you pointing out they are the only one. Go downstairs for Karaoke. Next to Ft. St. George.edit

Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House, 607 S Main St, ☎+1 206 515-4000. A unique renovation. Panama Hotel is both a teahouse and historical museum. Fine tea connoisseurs appreciate the wide selection of teas served with a high standard of quality. The Panama Hotel once housed the personal belongings of interned Japanese Americans who had to sell their homes and abandon their businesses. The belongings that were never claimed, including pieces of furniture and a piano are on display here.edit

Trabant Coffee & Chai, 2nd Ave and James St, [28]. Independently owned, the shop also doubles as an art space. This is true Seattle coffee shop with modern design, great espresso and Clover coffee brewer, and competition-level baristas. Want to learn more about coffee? These people love answering questions! You may even stumble into an impromptu tasting! edit

Panama Hotel[33]. If you want a private old-fashioned room, modest but clean, with bathroom down the hall -- consider the historic Panama Hotel, in the Pioneer Square-International District. Very relaxing tea and coffee house, with free wireless internet connections, on the street level.

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